1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote controller for a balloon controlling device, which remotely controls a balloon controlling device for supplying and sucking fluid to and from a balloon, and an endoscope system.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
In a medical field, for example, an insertion section of an endoscope is inserted into a deep alimentary canal such as small intestine and large intestine, and an inner wall surface of the canal is observed and diagnosed. Since the deep alimentary canal such as small intestine and large intestine is greatly curved, and force is not easily applied to a distal end portion of the insertion section of the endoscope only by pushing the insertion section, it is difficult to insert the insertion section of the endoscope into the deep alimentary canal.
Each of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0049797 (corresponding to Japanese Patent No. 3981364), Japanese Patent No. 3922217, and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0055101 (corresponding to Japanese Patent No. 4409340) discloses an endoscope system in which a balloon capable of being swollen and contracted is respectively attached to the insertion section of the endoscope and the distal end portion of the overtube covered over the insertion section. According to this endoscope system, fluid such as air is supplied to or sucked from two balloons by a balloon controlling device, the balloons are alternately swollen and temporarily fixed to the deep alimentary canal, and the insertion section and the overtube are alternately inserted into the deep alimentary canal. Thus, it is possible to insert the insertion section into the deep alimentary canal that is greatly curved.
Further, according to the endoscope system disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0049797, an operation switch for supplying or sucking fluid to or from balloons is disposed at a hand operation section of an endoscope. The endoscope system disclosed in each of Japanese Patent No. 3922217 and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0055101 includes a remote controller provided with an operation switch for supplying or sucking fluid to or from balloons. The remote controller is used to remotely switch the balloons between a swollen state and a contracted state.
It is necessary that one of the two balloons is in a swollen state and the other of them is in a contracted state at the time of inserting the endoscope into the deep alimentary canal. Therefore, it is required for an operator to recognize the swollen state or the contracted state of the balloons. Accordingly, in the endoscope system disclosed in each of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0049797 and Japanese Patent No. 3922217, the swollen state or the contracted state of the balloons is displayed on a monitor for displaying an observation image captured by the endoscope. In contrast, in the endoscope system disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0055101, a state display section for displaying the swollen state or the contracted state of the balloons is provided to the remote controller for remotely operating the balloons.
However, in the endoscope disclosed in each of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0049797, Japanese Patent No. 3922217, and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0055101, the operation switch for swelling or contracting the balloons is disposed separately from the state display section or the monitor for displaying the swollen state or the contracted state of the balloons, and therefore the operator must move his or her gaze at the time of swelling or contracting the balloons and at the time of recognizing the swollen state or the contracted state of the balloons. In the observation or diagnosis using the endoscope, in the case where the operator moves his or her gaze frequently, the operator may overlook the displayed state, and further, the swollen or contracted state recognized by the operator may be different from the actual state of the balloons in some cases.